Will Curlin race at Arlington or Belmont this Saturday?

Question

Today (Monday 7/7) it was reported that the horses trainer, Steve Asmussen was still unsure where Curlin would race for the first time on turf. Asmussen is hoping for the $500,000 Man O' War at Belmont in NY, but due to licensing issues, the horse may race in the $200,000 Arlington Handicap in Chicago. Anyone have any further and/or inside information? If not, educated guesses are cool too. Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Curlin will be running at Belmont on Saturday.  

His owners liscense has been received by the NYRA and is being processed.

His owners and trainer want his to run on Belmont's wide sweeping turf course because it is most similar to the course in France.

His owners and trainer want to run against the best horses and the Man O War has two winners of the Breeders Cup Turf running in it.  Red Rock won the Breeders Cup Turf in 2006 and Better Talk Now won it in 2004.  These horses will provide Curlin with a test to see if he fits in with the best Turf horses in Europe.

The Man O War is also a grade I race while the Arlington Handicap is a Grade II.

If all goes well, Curlin will then ship to France and probably run in the Group II Prix Foy at Longchamp, as a prep for the Arc.  He needs a prep race running clockwise and this one seems to fit the bill. It helps that Steve Asmussen's brother, Cash is a retired Champion rider in France, he won the Arc on Suave Dancer!

It all makes for some great racing, now that all the triple crown talk has faded!

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Belmont will get the money and the horse...

Answer 3

Curlin will most likely run the Man O War stakes @ Belmont.

Answer 4

Asmussen wants to run at belmont , so if the license issues are worked out at both tracks curlin will be at the man o' war , and if it works out that license issue is not worked out then he would go to the one that lets him run.

edit he has just been cleared to run at belmont , now the bigger question how do i get out of work so i can be there.

Answer 5

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Curlin had the final breeze leading up to what his connections are hoping will be the first turf race of his career when he cruised through an easy half-mile in 50.80 seconds early Monday over a fast main track at Churchill Downs.

Just where that turf race will be was still undetermined Monday. Trainer Steve Asmussen would prefer to run Curlin on Saturday in the $500,000 Man o' War Stakes at Belmont Park, with the $200,000 Arlington Handicap the same afternoon serving as an alternate spot. However, licensing issues in either jurisdiction must first be resolved concerning Midnight Cry Stables, minority owners in the colt.

Asmussen had hoped to hear from attorneys looking into the licensing situation Monday afternoon but said he had not heard anything definitive.

"We're obviously very anxious about it," Asmussen said.

The Midnight Cry partners, jailed attorneys William Gallion and Shirley Cunningham, have had their 20 percent interest in Curlin placed in receivership as a result of their highly publicized legal troubles.

If Curlin is cleared to race, he will ship Thursday from Churchill, Asmussen said.

Jess Jackson's Stonestreet Stables owns an 80 percent interest in Curlin. Curlin, the 2007 Horse of the Year and the winner of his last five races, is set to embark on an ambitious turf campaign that Jackson and Asmussen are hoping will culminate in the prestigious Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in France in October. Another small step toward that end came Monday at about 6:30 a.m. Eastern, when Equibase clockers caught Curlin - with regular exercise rider Carlos Rosas aboard and without company - going in splits of 13.20 seconds, 26.20, 38.80, and 50.80, with a five-furlong gallop-out in 1:05.

The Monday work came six days after Curlin was put through his first turf work, a seven-furlong breeze over the Churchill course.

Asmussen assistant Scott Blasi said many of the top Asmussen horses would ship Thursday from Churchill to Saratoga, where the stable figures prominently at a meet that starts July 23.